Colin Ainscough

Rock star David Bowie has died following an 18-month battle with cancer, a posting on his official Facebook page said.

According to the statement, the singer died yesterday, surrounded by his loved ones.

A tweet posted on his verified Twitter account also linked to the announcement.

It read: "David Bowie died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer.

"While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief."

His son, film director Duncan Jones tweeted: "Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all."

Bowie released his latest album, Blackstar, just three days ago, and his ex-wife Angie Bowie is currently a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother.

His agent Steve Martin confirmed the news of the 69-year-old's death.

Paying tribute to the singer on Twitter, comedian and actor Ricky Gervais, who convinced his long-time idol Bowie to star as himself - and ridicule Gervais - in an episode of 2006 sitcom Extras, wrote simply: "I just lost a hero. RIP David Bowie."